Delhi govt planning to offer free travel for third gender in DTC, cluster buses

New Delhi, February 5

The Delhi government is planning to offer free travel to people belonging to the third gender in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses, officials said on Monday. Women are already provided free travel on these buses in the national capital. The free travel scheme for women began in October 2019.

“Women are already provided free travel in buses operated by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS). We plan to extend the facility of free travel to people from the third gender too,” a senior transport department official said.

The official added that the social welfare department of the Delhi government has data on people belonging to the third gender in Delhi which will prove helpful for the scheme.

Those looking to avail the benefit of this scheme will have to furnish certificates issued by the revenue department, he said.

In April last year, the Delhi High Court asked the city government to decide on a representation to legally recognise the transgender community as the third gender in bus tickets issued by the DTC.

The Delhi government’s women and child development department had approved various measures for transgender people, including the addition of a “third gender” category in job application forms and the setting up of monitoring cells to protect them from abuse.

The measures were approved following an advisory by the National Human Rights Commission to ensure the welfare of the category.

The population of the transgender community in Delhi, according to the Census 2011, was 4,213. Officials said only 1,176 were enrolled as voters.